FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 201 



EXCEPTIONALLY TROUBLESOME CASES. 



The sections may fall that quarter of an inch with their 

 own weight, and they may not go down at all without urgent 

 coaxing. If the honey was stored with a rush in the early part 

 of the season, there will be very little gluing, and the sections 

 will come out easily. The later in the season, and the slower 

 the storing, the more gluing, and the more trouble. If there 

 is a lot of glue, and if it is warm, stringy, and sticky, it must 

 be humored a little. It can hardly be jerked loose suddenly 

 any more than if were nailed ; but if it is .allowed time enough 

 the weight of the sections may be enough to bring them down. 

 Of course a little insistence will hasten matters to some extent, 

 but it seems to be a matter of principle with that kind of glue 

 not to let go too suddenly. Sometimes I take a super of that 

 kind and place it low enough to sit down on the push-board, 

 and then let it take its time. When I feel it give way under 

 me, I give up my seat, imless I continue matters a little longer 

 by taking hold of the super at each end and lifting up while 

 still sitting on the push-board. 



WHEN THE GLUE IS BRITTLE. 



Sometimes the glue is brittle, especially if quite cold. The 

 ease is then quite different. Sitting on it all day would do 

 no good, unless one is heavy enough to bring 4own the whole 

 thing suddenly. If pushing down with the hands on the push- 

 board produces no effect, I pound with the fist at each corner 

 enough to make the start. Then lifting on the super at each 

 end with the fingers, I push the sections out of the super by 

 pushing down on the push-board with the thumbs (Fig; 77). 



After the first start is made, perhaps the super is at once 

 lifted off without any trouble, and perhaps further coaxing is 

 needed, and the super must be treated somewhat as one treats 

 a refractory bureau drawer. I lift on each end alternately, 

 holding down the push-board with one hand and lifting with 

 the other, then with both hands lift off the super (Fig. 78). 



This sounds a little as if were hard work getting sections 

 out of supers, because I have spent so much time talking about 



